Commerical Kitchen Equipment Certification Guide

Buying commercial kitchen equipment isn’t something that just anyone can do. It’s not like buying a stove or dining set for your home. You have to consider the customer and not just yourself. You also have to make sure that you buy commercial kitchen equipment that meets today’s tough certification standards. These standards regulate commercial kitchen products of all kinds. If your equipment doesn’t meet the requirements of your government, you could face a failed inspection and subsequent discipline. In order to make sure this doesn’t happen, let’s go over some of the most common certifications found in North America Today.
The NSF Certification
In case you didn’t know, NSF stands for the National Sanitation Foundation. Its standards are based around keeping a high quality of the air, water, and food in a commercial setting. One thing that you should understand about the NSF certification is that it is not a requirement of your commercial equipment.
NSF standards are simply those models which this non-profit organization has deemed exceptionally high in their three areas. When buying commercial kitchen equipment, use the NSF certification as a tie breaker between two very similar models, not as a deal breaker.
The ETL Certification

This standard is a must for your electric, oil or gas powered commercial kitchen equipment though it can also include sanitation certifications as well. ETL actually means Electrotechnical Laboratory. It’s basically a seal given to certified testing facilities in North America, which is why it can take on a few different looks. In the US, look for the ‘US’ stamp on the lower right of the ETL icon. This will tell you the product is fit for use in America. The ETL sanitation stamp is actually the same as the CSA and UL certifications we will talk about, but was certified by an accredited testing facility instead of an organization or formal testing process.
The CSA Certification

CSA stands for the Canadian Standards Association and is one of the largest providers of product certification in the world today. The CSA tests products using a rigid and prescribed testing process and can certify equipment for us in Canada, the US, or worldwide. When the CSA stamp stands alone it signifies compiles across the board, US or NRTL identifiers show that a piece of equipment compiles with all American Standards and a C certification below the CSA stamp will mark a product that meets Canadian standards.
The UL Certification
Like NSF, UL is a non-profit organization which certifies all types of food service equipment made for a commercial kitchen. Typically this stamp has included a C or US notation to signify compliance with Canadian or US standards respectively, but in the late 90’s a new stamp became available. This stamp includes C and US notations as well as the written word, “LISTED” below it. This new stamp indicates complete North American compliance. In some cases however, the UL stamp will stand alone to certify the same dual compliance. It is important (especially with older models) to look at what your UL stamp really means.